International Ops 2019
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What’s going on in the Strait of Hormuz?
Amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, on 16th May the US FAA issued a new Notam and Background Notice advising operators to exercise caution in the overwater airspace above the…
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No more slots misery at Toronto
The ongoing slots-related misery at CYYZ/Toronto airport looks like it may be coming to an end. The airport has always required GA/BA flights to obtain slots for flights operating overnight (0030-0630 local…
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No end in sight for Pakistan airspace restrictions
Most of the restrictions implemented in Feb 2019 remain in place, effective through to the end of May at the earliest. For flights to airports in Pakistan, there are specific routes you…
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Beijing Airport is filling up fast
There always seems to be some kind of random event going on in Beijing making life hard for GA/BA ops. This month it’s the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, and already…
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Fly it like you stole it – free speed on the NAT
This is a new one, and it’s a good one for pilots! Being introduced slowly is a new flexibility – flying without a fixed Mach speed. In simple terms, you get to…
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This year’s NAT military exercise is no biggie
Remember that big NAT Military exercise last year? Formidable Shield is happening again now until 19 MAY, but this year it’s not such a big deal. It’s all happening in an area…
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“THIS NOTAM IS AN EMERGENCY ORDER” – FAA on Venezuela
At 8.30pm tonight, the FAA issued a new “Do Not Fly” instruction to US operators, barring all operations into or over Venezuela, unless operating at or above FL260, and giving a window…
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New rules for ops to Japan
Operators to all the main airports in Japan must now sign a statement saying they will take measures to ensure objects don’t fall off the aircraft. The authorities also want you to…
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North Korean airspace: a year later – is it still safe for international operators?
If you’re looking for an update on “Is North Korea Safe to Overfly”, this is it. Answer: Yes. Here’s why, in the bedtime story version: Once upon a time, there was a…
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Are ops to Hong Kong getting easier?
Since August 2018, Hong Kong Airport has been providing six daily designated slots to GA/BA between 1600-2059Z (0000-0500 local time), and it now looks like this policy has been extended through to…
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Sudan airspace reopens
Sudan airspace reopened at 1200Z on Apr 12, having been closed for 24hrs following a military coup. So the HSSS FIR is now once again open for overflights. As for flights to…
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Tripoli airport hit by airstrikes as civil war erupts in Libya
Libya has been plunged into civil war again, with militia from the East mounting a campaign to seize control of Tripoli, and threatening to shoot down aircraft operating in western Libya. Risk…
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Algeria lifts ban on GA/BA flights
Amid ongoing anti-government protests, authorities published a Notam on Apr 2 banning all GA/BA flights from operating at airports across the country. But following the resignation of Algeria’s President Bouteflika, this ban…
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Malaysia and Singapore agree truce over Seletar airspace closure
Update Apr 6: The Malaysian authorities have now lifted the airspace closure north of Seletar again, and in return Singapore will abandon plans for ILS at the airport – and will now…
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Fiji ATC operations return to normal
Update Apr 2: ATC operations have returned to normal across Fiji, following last week’s strike by air traffic controllers. On Fri Mar 29, an Arbitration Court ordered they return to work, although…
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2019 North Atlantic changes
There are four ICAO NAT Ops Bulletins due to go into effect on March 28th, 2019. The PBCS tracks will be expanded, real-time Space-Based ADS-B surveillance and reduced separation standards will be…
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Venezuela: do not travel
Amid an escalating crisis in Venezuela, on Mar 11, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced via Twitter that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas will be withdrawing all of its remaining diplomatic…
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Stuck in Iran for over 2 months
On Feb 23, the Norwegian B737 which had been stuck in Iran for two months after an in-flight diversion finally departed OISS/Shiraz, and landed back at Stockholm’s ESSA/Arlanda airport. The brand new Norwegian Boeing…
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New NAT Contingency Procedures for 2019
Starting 28th March 2019, there will be some changes to the contingency and weather deviation procedures on the NAT. ICAO has published a new NAT Ops Bulletin with all the details. Before, there…
